


Love Me Like the Forest and Sun

by Shatterpath



Series: The Griffin 'Verse [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Falling In Love, Griffins, Team as Family, Travel, not gory, warning- food animals being utilized for that purpose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23313223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: At last Lena and Alex have truly found one another, but really, their adventure is only beginning. Come along as they and those that love and follow them leave their mountain stronghold and see what the future holds for them.For the twelve months of Christmas, I have gifts for all of you.For the twelve months of Christmas, I'm a masochist it's truuuuuuuuuue.A new Pyramid adventure,Moira and her knight and her mommy and Dragon at Disneylaaaaaaaaaaand,A return to magic and some old loves,Griffins and their loved ones,
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: The Griffin 'Verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676521
Comments: 20
Kudos: 47





	1. Leave The Mountains

**Author's Note:**

> So, there had always meant to be more to this tale. Some bits and pieces were even written ages ago! There's not a lot so far, but getting my hands dirty on all these older and much loved 'verses has me all fired up. Lots of work to do on the stack of WIPs I've got now!
> 
> Thanks to theillogicalthinker, Tadhgan31 and everyone who encouraged me on in the first part of this series. On to new adventures!
> 
> Warning: Food animals being used for that purpose. Only mildly graphic.

With the first step of their new futures set, the soldiers and staff of the mountain keep quickly conferred among themselves to designate tasks and scatter to complete them. Lena was given a quick kiss from her paramour and a hard hug squashed between the royal sisters before being left in Cat's capable hands. 

Cat was snappish in her stress, but slowly she and her little team whittled down what would go and what would stay. Winn, Querl and Carter ran for supplies and Lena was tasked with packing things snug and safe into a variety of containers. By lunchtime, the task was done, rabbits and as many of the cats as they could catch, caged and stashed in a storage closet to await departure. At some invisible signal, two legs and four trooped through to whisk away the supplies, Alex pausing after she'd sent Astra off with an affectionate swat to the rump.

Then she more than willingly sat between Cat and Lena to join them and the boys in a meal. It felt good to both Alex and Lena to sit pressed closely together at shoulder and hip and breathe out some of the stress as they ate. Once that was complete, Cat reassured her young liege that they would be ready before dawn and Alex nodded.

"Excellent. Thank you, Cat, for all the hard work, you and your boys, as well as Lena. Might I spirit her away for something else?"

"Of course," Cat agreed easily and shooed at her son and helpers. "Come along. We're not done yet!"

They left smiles in their wake, the new couple shyly gravitating together in a loose hug, foreheads touching.

"All is well?" Lena whispered, not willing to interrupt the quiet moment.

"All is well," Alex whispered back, shifting to kiss her forehead and draw the loose embrace into something that encompassed their whole selves. "Oh, how I wish I could stay like this with you forever."

Lena was smiling as Alex mostly released her, tone becoming a bit more businesslike.

"Will you take on an important task for us?"

"Anything."

The honest willingness brought out Alex's softest smiles and a warm kiss. 

"Would you go through the library, to see if there's anything there that could assist us? Be judicious of weight of course, but I trust your judgment."

Very aware of her new love's stress, Lena pressed in close, soothed with a hand on Alex's cheek, her lips soft in a sweet kiss.

"Thank you, Alex. I will absolutely take on the task. Might Eve stay with me? I fear being alone…"

Alex hugged Lena to her, willing the shudders of alarm to subside. "Love, I will always endeavor to ensure you are never alone again. Of course Eve will go with you."

\----

Exhausted by the busy day, nonetheless, there was a jaunty bounce to Alex's step as she headed for what was secretly her favorite place in the mountain castle. Which at the moment, held her not-so-secret favorite new person.

A jostle at the door soothed her protective instincts to find it barred tight from within.

"I've dinner and my company," she called out, holding up a basket as the door clunked and swung open to reveal Lena's shy smile.

"Both are welcome."

The full-body hug brought Alex into the room and she distractedly slapped the door closed as she was thoroughly kissed. Humming happily, she gave back as good as she got, breathing in Lena's soft moan. Only the gurgle or hunger from both their bellies and a nudge from Eve stopped them from exploring further.

"Yes, of course I brought you dinner, sunny one," Alex teased as she released her lady to produce a haunch of meat for the eager griffin.

"I think she's bored, but remains well-behaved."

"She's a good girl," Alex agreed easily, thumping Eve's flank affectionately before scanning the room. There were several stacks of books, and a roll of parchments awaiting being seated in a waterproof case.

Curious, Alex fondled an old book, heavy for its size, the cover thin wood wrapped in leather, one corner cracked. She knew this book well, knew there were childish scribbles and letters being learned from generations of her family hiding on many pages within. It was a collection of fairytales, a whimsical choice.

Teasing, but with an edge of real curiosity, Alex asked, "do you believe in the old magics?"

Lena scoffed fiercely at the unexpected question. "Old stories of witches and wizards to frighten children around the hearth? I think not."

"And talking cats and giants and castles made of thorns," Alex added in that same, easy tone. "It all sounds a bit mad, yes?"

"Yes."

"And yet, we've beasties with four limbs and six, and plants that grow immeasurably larger than their brethren, seemingly at random. I've stepped into, or more accurately, skirted around places in the wild that just didn't feel… right."

An involuntary shudder twitched Lena's spine, for she had encountered those sorts of places too. And feared how they called to her.

"I've seen children whose screams stopped bloody battles and soldiers invulnerable to heat or cold that might kill another." That mischievous smile was so comforting to Lena that she helplessly returned it. "You know that one. The grouchy ogre who keeps us all in clean linens and produces the finest hides and leathers in all the land." Once again she returned to her original topic and tone, the subject not so alarming to Lena now. "I've seen my sister take on the strength of a dozen large men, her eyes seeming to glow like the sun, when she is the only thing between innocents and certain death. I watched my father's sword throw sparks like a blacksmith's anvil as it cut through solid stone."

Those deep, dark eyes were as intense as a wall of smoke before a raging fire and Lena was ensnared utterly. Alex's voice was a low, coaxing murmur, something seductive in the tone.

"I have seen how people can affect animals, even great, dangerous beasts to be like cubs once more. To remind them of play and pack and the importance of standing together. Even tame a beastly heart such as mine."

Heart pounding, Lena was all too willing to let herself be drawn closer. "I hardly think that's the old magics, ogre."

"The oldest of magics, enchantress."

In the slow, wet kiss that made the world fade away for long moments, the magic between them felt plenty real. Lips still brushing, Alex's voice was rough with feeling.

"Bring the book. Call it an indulgence. There will need to be small pleasures amidst survival." Her smile was mischief mixed with sensuality. "Now, did you spot my hammock above? Some sleep and closeness will do us both good."

\----

Torn between the ache of leaving this place of unexpected safety and relief to be getting away from those that would mean her harm, Lena fretted over her personal effects a final time. It did not matter that there was so little of it. She was desperate to not be a burden.

"Come on then, sister!" Kara suddenly called out as she approached the chambers she shared with her sister. "The road awaits!"

Even as Lena jumped like a startled hare, Kara stepped in, the way no longer impeded by the hide curtain.

"Grab that soft quilt you like from the bed. No one will begrudge you the extra warmth."

Collecting the small sacks of Lena's things, Kara negligently tossed them over her left shoulder, already festooned with many more. The wooden trunk balanced on her right was stone-heavy but the younger princess seemed uncaring of the weight. Lena was grateful to bring along the comfort of the familiar blanket, draping it around herself and walking out. Like Kara, she paused and looked around the living chamber a final time.

"I'll miss this place greatly," Lena whispered and Kara nodded stoically before taking a deep breath and walking out without a backwards glance. An agitated Eve immediately fluffed up and settled, croaking and nuzzling at her partner. "Did you miss me, silly thing? You could have joined me in there you know."

"And risk the wrath of the twins?" Kara scoffed playfully and tossed the many sacks over Eve's back and resettle the trunk. They took the main tunnel where it wound deep into the mountain, but veered away from the path that would have taken them to the griffin's watery playground. Lena didn't have to ask where they were headed, the smell and noise was indication enough.

The huge space was surprisingly empty, the noise coming from the great doors thrown open to the darkness of early morning. In the flickering light of bonfires out in the courtyard, there was a great deal of movement.

Most notable was what had to be more than a hundred fat, sturdy-legged goats bleating and struggling in their mismatched wraps of linen, wool and hide, each with a pair of sacks lashed to their sides. Their halters were securely bound by very short ropes to stiff poles which in turn were connected end to end into a train. At the head of each of the four trains was a very fluffy donkey the size of a pack horse, placidly waiting to be set to work. Just as the goats each carried sacks, so did the donkeys.

"It's their food," Carter explained as he joined her. If not for his stature, it would be hard to tell who was under the heavy winter layers. "Everybody's gotta carry their own food. 'Cept the griffs. They'll trim the goat herd down as we travel. C'mon, I'll help you get Eve ready. We don't wanna be late!"

In an alcove nearby marked with Eve's name, lay a collection of tack and gear for her. Familiar with the procedure, the yellow griffin held up each foot for Carter to pull on a sturdy boot of thick, oiled leather. The tips of her eagle-like talons just peeked out, and the retractable claws on the hind could flex out through reinforced slits. Then came an elaborate harness with the padded saddle left on its hook and trailing harness straps buckled on instead. Susan showed up then, complimenting the boy on his work and throwing down her armload of thick blankets. Those were lashed about Eve's body from neck to tail tip, barely leaving her room enough to do her business. Then a heavy hood of wool and leather, bulging round lenses protecting her eyes, and a long sleeve for the long, catlike length of tail. Only then was the padded saddle set in place.

"You look ridiculous," Lena finally had to say, fighting a giggle. "I look forward to this journey being done and you can be your sunny self again."

As though in response, Eve flared out her wings, the coat of blankets flipping upward at the motion, but remaining in place around the rest of her. Then the great wings vanished away again and she shook herself out.

Susan nodded in satisfaction and gestured for Eve to nose her way under Lena to lift her into place. "A job well done. Get out there to get in a bit of fresh pig in her for fuel. There isn't much left!"

Eve eagerly scampered over to where several of the flying griffins and a trio of burly, stubby-winged ground griffs were polishing off the scraps of what had once been the bulk of the pig herd, now little more than a large stain on the snow. Once, the gory feasting would have disturbed Lena to some extent, but she had seen far worse.

Around the courtyard, every goat and donkey and griffin was swaddled in blankets, hides and curtains from all over the castle. Frankly, they looked outlandish, a child's painting of a circus in transit. Only the herd of cattle were left unadorned, their enormously fluffy coats would have to be enough. They too carried their own grain and were tied by halters into a single train. 

"Do think beef might be ready for us soon?" she asked wistfully and several others nearby chuckled. Carter took the question seriously, ever ready to be important.

"There's a weak yearling in there, you can see her clinging close to her mother, there. And two steers that are only good for eating."

"Good. I think I'm finally feel strong enough for beef now!"

Sledge and sled and box and sack and stack of cheese wheels, Lena understood, but there was one object that baffled her aboard one of the two sledges that looked too big to get out of the castle via its winding road. Why bring along such a heavy ceramic glazed pot, large enough that she could curl up inside of it? Odder still was its barrel base with open chambers already aglow with… coals.

Before Lena could ask, there was a noisy flurry in the high reaches of the canyon aeries. Barely shadows in the firelight that bounced about, it appeared that a quartet of griffins were… fighting over something? Then they straightened out and spiraled down in perfect synchronicity to reveal a bundle strung tight between four lines.

"That's it then," Carter said sagely, "it's time to go."

Riders clustered to the pot, reached up to grab the bundle as it sagged low, split the protective wrap to reveal a flash of mottled grey and green eggshell before the precious burden was sunk into the pot and great piles of woolens and hides shoveled in over it. A middling-sized white griff and her iridescent black companion landed to fret over the procedure.

"We're moving an egg?" Lena asked, horrified, and Carter nodded.

"It's less safe to stay. The sand in the bottom of the pot will stay warm from the coals. It'll be fine."

A wooden lid was lashed down over the pot and to the four corners of the sledge and more red coals from the bonfires shoveled in before ceramic doors were fitted into place. Heavy gear was packed around the pot and secured. Atop that a multitude of lightweight crates were added. From within them came the bleating and petulant yowling.

"That's the kids, rabbits and cats," Carter explained. "Hopefully, they'll be okay with the cold."

Hoping to reassure the boy, Lena squeezed his shoulder.

The last of the deserters within the castle, Alex took a deep breath and shouldered the saddlebag of her personal things. She had a final duty to perform before setting out on her new life.

The main hall looked little different, the dark stone catching the light of the fires that would soon go dark, shadowing the scars of lifetimes of use. Morgan and two of his guardsman lounged at the huge table, indulging in some of the castle goods as though they were proper lords.

It took some effort for Alex to swallow down her ire.

"Well, we're off to our new lives rebuilding the neighboring Luthor lands," she said casually, noting that the clusters of those that elected to not go with her were clustering close. Unsurprising to Alex was the oily hint of triumphant smile on the man's face. There were a few traitorous sorts in the ranks she was not at all sorry to see go. "Don't stay too long or the mountain will take you with the cold."

"Oh, I don't know," Morgan purred dangerously. "I may stay on."

Alex almost wished he would, but innocents would suffer with him, not the least of which were the griffins. 

"Morgan, I don't care if you stay here and play false king, or return to your life as a dishonorable snake to slither amidst those who receive some sort of perverse pleasure in your dubious attentions. My path lies in rebuilding, in dedicating myself to our hard-won peace."

Alex's condescension was like a living thing, sharp and hurtful. Modulating herself, she once again strove for calm. 

"You will tell my mother that I vow to complete the mission of peace my father died for. I trust there are those in your numbers that have honor left to do my bidding." Pausing in walking away, Alex threw nonchalantly over her shoulder, "oh, and ditch the armor, you pretentious peacock. You'll be escorting a passenger down the mountain. One you don't dare cross or your bloody corpse will be frozen to the slope below."

Where she watched the toadie and his minions closely, M'gann smiled a cold, dangerous smile. "I look forward to the journey, your highness."

Satisfied, Alex walked away without a backward glance. The black glare was something she could almost feel, but Morgan had no power here. She could only hope that there was any shred of loyalty to his guardsmen. 

The busyness of the courtyard warmed her, human and beast readying themselves for the difficult journey ahead. With ease, she zeroed in on the small griffin and with the peek of yellow wings with her person astride.

"I was concluding my final castle business, but would rather be with you."

Despite the press of time, Lena fell from Eve's back into strong arms so that she could cling and be clung to in turn. The sense of love and comfort was like a living thing for the young couple. For a long moment they soaked up one another, the feel of sanctuary as real as the mountain stone around them.

Then Alex breathed deep, held the air of the mountain stronghold within her and let it go. She gave her a partner a squeeze and a nuzzle.

"Let's do this."

"I'm with you."

Alex's appearance in the courtyard signaled a final flurry of activity and she moved among them, a final check in before they moved out. Lena checked the fasteners on the warm elk hide that protected her, pulled on layers of hoods and facemasks, tinted goggles to protect her eyes. She squirmed as she settled back onto Eve, not enjoying the absorbent fluff packed around groin and rear for obvious hygienic reasons.

"I'm too old for diapers," Carter grumbled darkly, even squirmier than his companion and Lena choked down a laugh.

"Aren't we all? Still, dropping trou in this cold would be even less fun, eh?"

"If it's too bad," Sara suddenly broke in as she joined them, her tone merry. "Just remember that we're all suffering the same indignities, lad!"

A walloping cuff to the shoulder made the boy stumble into Eve, chasing off a bit of his dramatic scowl.

"Fine," he said dramatically and gave Lena a quick, hard hug before scampering off to the big sledge heavy with food and goats.

If they hadn't still been within the crowded confines of the courtyard, Lena would have been alarmed at the great, furry bear that loomed up beside them. But it was no bear, no matter Mick's growling as he unceremoniously put a hand on Lena's belly to shove her back further onto Eve's withers. Then he placed a sack in her lap. "Snacks and drink. Be sparing, but get it in ya. Cold plays nasty tricks on a body."

He moved to heft an awkward-shaped bundle onto Eve's back, just behind Lena. It was clearly light, a stiff, roughly rectangular frame with thick wool stretched over it. From within, came the sounds of disturbed chickens. Then a final sack was lashed snug to Eve to be carried over her hips.

"Your rations," Mick explained as he checked his work a final time. "Keep your weight even on her shoulders, between the wing joints. This ain't a pleasure ride and too much weight forward will wear out little yellow here."

He brusquely tugged the thick wool of mask and hood into place around Lena's head before shaking out yet another blanket-like layer to toss over rider, mount and chicken alike.

"There's laces to adjust, but keep covered up as much as possible."

The blanket flared over Eve's neck to hang halfway down her leg. Mick grabbed her head to gently turn her skull one way then the other, adjusting the fit of her halter and the hood with its bulbous lenses to protect her eyes from wind and cold.

"Now get in line. I've got the wagon with the cheese and tender livestock if ya need anything."

"Thank you," Lena called to his retreating back, warmed by the gruff care. He just made a borderline rude gesture over his shoulder and Lena chuckled.

Nearby, Alex scrambled athletically to the top of the egg pot to call out to her people. 

"We make for the Wayside Caves!" her voice carried to the assembly. "Come!"

Laden with packs, two of the ground griffins headed out first, shoving aside snow with their great bulks. Sawyer and another small griff that Lena could not remember the name of followed, bristling with spears and arrows.

"Mush!" Carter yelled gleefully and laughed at the look Astra and Alura traded before glaring over their shoulders at him. The abrupt jerk on their harnesses spilled the boy onto his backside and nearly into the woolen tent of noisy goats behind him. Pleased with their small mischief, the twins moved out, Cap and the red and black Kane at the rear post of the heavy sledge. Lena had been confused on the design of the sledges, but could see how it worked as the griffins went into motion. Fore and aft were two crossbars, short on the left and long on the right. Each was on a heavy swivel against the sledge's body, allowing the forward animal to crowd their partner when the path narrowed. The smaller sleighs and sleds used the same twin pole configuration as any common cart, pulled by a single animal.

Riders went to the head of every vehicle, Eve falling in to follow the egg sledge and the tail ends of the worried parents. Then came the trains of goats, bleating and complaining as they were dragged along by the big donkeys.

Lena caught her breath as the firelight vanished behind the great face of the courtyard wall. She could not help but remember how she had arrived, starved, terrified and ready to die.

In the darkness, in this new beginning, this time she felt hope.


	2. The Wayside Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reality of the journey down the mountain is far harder on human and beast than anyone could imagine.

The biting chill felt on the switchback trail was a misleading warning to what the traveling party was in for.

Every living thing flinched as they stepped beyond the protective walls. The cold was like a blade, stabbing and slicing at the protective layers that had seemed so warm and cumbersome moments before. Lena felt like the protesting livestock, taken from the protection of the mountain castle to this harsh environment.

By the time the skies began to lighten, the train was well underway. The noisy goats had mostly fallen silent, just the occasional bleat of protest to the indignities. 

Daylight brought no relief from the bitter cold. It felt like a weight, a constriction around the body, deep in the lungs, as though the ceramic blue sky were solid ice.

Travel was easy enough at first, the terrain a long, sloping valley full of jagged upthrusts that separated the two castles. Every time the Luthor warkeep rose into the corner of her vision, Lena shuddered and struggled to keep her eyes forward. She had to hold onto the promise of this new future, a promise centered on the young royal walking at Astra's head. Those broad shoulders were an excellent anchor for Lena's attention, soothing the fear of that fanglike specter of her past.

In the nature of mountain travel the easy passage only lasted for a time. Abruptly, the canyon became choked and narrow, the path hacked right into the stone generations ago. A treacherous route in the best of times, but snow and ice conspired to make it potentially deadly. There was a reshuffle, the grounders sent back along the caravan and the two big sledges taking point. Lucy and Valkyrie hung back, dropping in with Lena.

"You holding up?" Lucy asked and Lena nodded. The cold was there at the edges of her perceptions, but hadn't yet set into her bones. She hoped it would not, fearful of her condition would never recover.

As the sledges moved onto the steeper parts, the harnesses pulled at the breeching looped around the griffins rear ends and their heavy wing joints. There was much complaining and resettling, but the big animals carried on. It was every animal that did not care for the change in the trail, the cries echoing along the jagged rocks. Lena's natural curiosity wished she could see the spectacle, but her sense of sanity kept her eyes forward to the unchanging view of Felicity and Ollie's rear ends behind the egg pot.

Then came a section of trail so steep Lena could see the lead sledge clearly from her vantage point. Astra and Alura both were agitated, not liking the danger of the snowy ramp fighting with the weight behind them. 

But the caravan had to keep moving.

So Lena bore witness to yet another innovation of the strange configuration of the sledge harnesses. At the urging of their humans, Cap and Kane twisted in their loose harness until they were nearly backward, digging in with strong feet to stop the sledge from racing down the steep pass. Growling and agitated, Astra and Alura braced themselves against the push that seemed ready to best even their great strength. 

Alex gripped the twin's halters, steadying with words and hands, fully in the path of disaster should the griffins fail.

Four sets of unfurled wings crowded an already crowded trail, the twins lifting Alex clean off the ground several times in their stress. But the sledge inched its way downward to safety. 

"Well done," Lena whispered and startled at Lucy's voice close by.

"Well done indeed. We'll follow the next one closely to keep traffic moving."

Even with Lena urging her on, Eve hung back a bit, which proved to be a good choice. Iris and Barry were having some trouble with their griffins, who did not want to turn their backs on their egg. Their distraction nearly caused disaster, the sledge rocking alarmingly, griffin and human alike crying out.

Felicity snarled and hissed as Eve leapt forward to clamp her beak to the rope Iris was struggling with. It worked, the larger snow and smoke female focused away from the egg she was helping to anchor. Iris yelped in alarm as the tugging lifted her off the ground, then laughed gleefully.

"That's it, little yellow, pull!"

As amused as his wife, Barry found a hand to toss his own line for Sawyer to throw her weight against. Whether the efforts of the smaller griffins helped or not, the sledge painstakingly inched down the slope just as the larger one had just done. Ollie was silent outside of his grunting efforts, glower baleful and ruff standing on end.

Lena merely stayed quiet and still, glad the animals were too well trained to do more than glare.

While that was the most dangerous moment of the day, it was by no means the only one. At times the trail would be so steep as to seem to want to push them right off. Half the time the bottom of the jagged gorge was lost to shadows and fog. Periodically, the animal's noise would flare up in the unnatural quiet of so many living things. A few times, a goat would make a horrible noise and in short order, something clattered into the deep canyon.

Lena kept her eyes forward and wished desperately for the caves and any manner of succor.

Darkness stalked them, chasing the sun away. Had the whole day passed? With the short days of winter and the rugged terrain, it seemed all the more sudden. Lanterns were lit and spread around the caravan, but really, it did little more than bolster spirits and possibly help with footing.

Fear rose as the sky darkened. Fear of poor footing and things unable to be seen. The lanterns were carefully shielded to throw their light away from sensitive eyes, which helped some, but also seemed to make the darkness even deeper and blacker.

Lena was feeling the cold draining her limited resources, the ache of being astride Eve for so many hours with little movement with the heavy warm layers dragging at them both. The animal's heads were low, their breathing heavy with fatigue, plodding along.

Then a ripple of excitement shook down the party, straggled out along the narrow mountain trail.

For at last they arrived at the Wayside Caves.

What seemed to Lena little more than a deep overhang, swallowed up the sledges and then herself. The lanterns were unshielded to bounce light around the rugged interior, mostly night-dark stone glittery with frost. The floor was rough gravel, tamped smooth, evidence of past travelers in the configurations of fire pits and heavy iron rings driven into the walls.

Surely Lena must have been here before? Rested here as she was taken in chains to the woman who captured something far more valuable. Her heart.

As the rows of cattle and goats made their way through the cave entrance, individual animals were plucked off the lines to be taken aside. All of the riders dumped what water they had left into a bucket to let those beasts have a last drink before they would be calmly and quickly dispatched.

The herds were led deep into the jagged chamber for some much needed rest from the stressful day.

Even as fires were being built from piles of dried dung, griffs were unharnessed and stripped to their bare hides, shooed off towards the mouth of the cave to fluff and roll and preen. Then the livestock was freed of their warm coverings, but left in halter, their individual leashes lengthened for some freedom of movement. The main lines were lashed straight and tight along short sticks to keep them elevated somewhat. Quickly the goats were returned to their neutral shades of ground and winter amidst the ruddy sea of thickly-furred cattle. 

The humans barely shucked off their heaviest layers, their priority the animals and setting up camp. Lena watched with open curiosity as each animal was gone over, checking for condition, hooves and paws cleaned of wetness and ice and wrapped in dry cloth if needed. Even to Lena's untrained eye, it was fairly obvious which animals had taken the long walk the hardest and would be highly unlikely to walk out of the caves. Still, they were treated like all the others, warmed and cared for and left with their herd for comfort.

Buckets of snow were brought in to be piled in thin steel troughs placed very close to the flames. Carter tapped Lena and pointed to one, far more battered than the others, cooked black by many fires. "Don't drink from that one. It's for hygiene."

His grimace said enough.

In the center of the three fires triangulated was the egg pot to catch the warmth. No one seemed unduly concerned for it, despite a long day in the mountain cold. Even the doting parents were busy with putting their feathers back to rights and getting in on the flurry of excitement as several riders dragged in their dinner.

As steel and fire turned snow back to water, the buckets came out and every mouth from rabbit to griffin was given a good, long drink. Then a different bucket came out, a battered two-handled thing wide as it was shallow. One by one, everyone got a few inches of warm water bordering on too hot and carried it to a ramshackle tent to clean up. After a day in diapers and smothered in heavy winter gear, it was a blessing. Then it was walking the filth to the cave opening and giving it a toss for the cold to have before handing the bucket off to the next person.

Feeling her all-to-recent recovery, Lena was more than willing to curl up on a pile of discarded warm layers laid out to dry as much as possible. The nearby presence of her kitchen companions set her deeply ingrained wariness at ease and she idly watched the steady progression of her fellow humans to the cleanup area. Eventually she had to leave off her exhausted sprawl, Sara's foot prodding her shoulder. 

"Up with you. Do you need a hand?"

Swallowing down a pathetic moan, Lena forced herself to sit up, but was uncertain she could make her shaky legs work.

"I confess that being a-griffin all day seems to have done me in."

Strong hands effortlessly stood her still-underweight self up, Sara keeping a firm grip on the heavy, warm tunic. "That's no weakness, highness. Even we who live and breathe them find these sorts of treks unbearable."

Nia caught the interaction and left off her tending small hurts and the dangerous skirting of frostbite long enough to help Sara get a resigned Lena cleaned up and redressed.

"Keep track of the fluff you dried off with," the young healer urged. "It will be your hygiene tomorrow."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Lena wobbled off towards Cat's workspace. Busy as she was, the older woman did not nag her to help. She knew the sort of bone-deep weariness that wracked Lena's frame. Instead, she remained focused on the smallest predators of their party.

Lena had barely been aware of the castle cats, too caught up in the overpowering presence of the griffins. But now there seemed an army of them clustered to the woman they shared a name with. From her cook pots, Cat ladled out steaming meat slop over a low trough of snow that the cats milled around, crying piteously. The snow cooled the roiling steam to lazy tendrils in the air, letting the cats get in meal and water both. 

Carter was busy building a pen of baskets and gear shoved against the big sledge's snow rail for the rabbits to hop around in and nibble at compacted green pellets and dense cubes of dried, green grass. The coddled hair goats with their long, silky coats were tethered close by, eating similar fare and complaining as their kind did. With his face so very serious, Carter set out a dish of water for the rabbits and carried a bucket to each goat to have a second opportunity for a drink. Only then did he use the cleanup tent himself before settling at his mother's side.

"Good boy," she praised him quietly, rewarding him with a kiss to his tousled hair and handing over a steaming cup that made him hum happily. "Do you have a bit of energy for a treat?"

It took a moment for Lena to realize Cat was speaking to her and forced herself to sit up. A mug like Carter's was held out and Lena used both hands to take it. It smelled savory and sweet both, as much hearty broth as the welcome taste of honey. Her happy sound was an echo of the boy's as the warmth soothed and filled her belly.

Soon, everyone gravitated to the smell of things cooked and waiting to fill them up. Querl plopped down beside Lena and Cat served her little team before the hordes descended. Quick as a cough, Lena had a large bowl in her hands with more food than she could eat. Ah well, food never went to waste with this lot!

"Those are the best bits," Querl enthused and pointed with his spoon. They were crispy-fried bits of the tenderest parts of the griffin's dinner tossed over a reconstituted stew and hardtack soaking up the moisture in the meal. The hot meal was bliss, a revival after the long, draining day. Drink was an odd thing that tasted almost of the small beer, but sweeter. Seeing syrup ladled into jugs of warmed water solved the mystery. It made sense to transport the drink boiled down to save weight.

The last thing to make the evening the best it could be was the presence of the royal sisters joining her in eating. There was little conversation among human or beast after a hard day on body and heart, but quiet was an easy one. 

Lena was thwarted in a cuddle as the sisters nearly inhaled their meal, each giving her a quick hug before scrambling off to finish their duties. Oh well. Soon there would be settling into sleep. Until then, Lena would curl up with her little kitchen family.

The time passing was peaceful, but she did not sleep. What she was missing came in a familiar presence that made her smile even as she opened her eyes. While Alex's smile might be indistinct in the dying light of the fire, Lena knew that mouth now, and she missed it.

"Come, love," Alex enticed softly and Lena felt an emotional lightning bolt at the endearment. "There's a cuddle incomplete without you."

Smitten of her warrior, Lena willingly stirred, groaning at her stiffness and eagerly accepting Alex's hands on her. Several cats glared and leapt aside as their mattress was disturbed.

"And here I thought you didn't like me," Lena teased the animals and relished that she felt comfortable enough to do so now. Alex kept gentle hands on her while she stood and stretched, before drawing their bodies together in a hug.

"I've missed you."

The low whisper brought Lena to quiet tears as she clung hard.

The egg-sisters made an intimidating double peak in the mountain range of sleepy griffins. They'd made an enormous circle, beaks in, so that tails could curl and shift lazily in relaxation. Alex led the way through a narrow pass between Ava and Cap where the trio of small griffs held court over the central valley.

"Rest well, my good girl," Lena praised Eve, who raised her head from Sawyer's flank long enough for a pet before snuggling down. Then it was a touch for Astra where she cuddled with her mate, and Alura, who held the spot on her sister's other side, a narrow space between them. There, in that cramped, warm hollow, Lena was pressed into a nest of warm bedding, Kara a grumbling pillow to her right and Alex curled snug to her back, her arms a delicious prison. 

There was nowhere else she'd rather be.


	3. The Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have additional plans for their beginning anew in the embrace of the trees, but who knows how long that might take? Certainly not me. :)
> 
> I think I'll end this part here, with the promise of haven and a new start. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

The short day meant a long night, and the travelers took full advantage of that. In the darkness before dawn, the tiny night beacon of flame beneath the stewpot flared brighter to herald the coming day. No one rushed through the grumbling, whining waking, bodies sore and stiff. 

While Kara remained an unmoving lump, Lena took advantage of Alex's closeness, hands in the thick mane of sunset and that enticing mouth warm on hers. There had not been time enough for more than this, the blend of breath, bodies pressed close, hands clasping. In the laziness of this unhurried waking, the young lovers grew lost in one another, Lena thrilling at the weight of her warrior's powerful body pressing her smaller frame into the furs.

The moment was broken with Kara's sarcastic, "good morning."

Giggling guiltily, Lena left off her falling into Alex's seductive attentions that had left her pressed hard to Kara's back.

"Forgot you were part of the mattress," Alex teased and reluctantly squirmed away from Lena's warmth to the center of the ring of half-roused griffins. "Come on, then, we'd best let this lazy lot of feathers and fur get themselves moving."

Astra grumbled unconvincingly and snaked her head out to poke Alex with her beak.

Lena couldn't stop her giggle, relishing the welcome foreignness of the feelings in her.

With gentleness and a complete lack of ceremony, the royal heir bundled up her new love into her favorite warm blanket to be held safely. Kara's lazing became a squawk of objection as the griffin sisters stirred and rose to stretch luxuriously, every joint and toe getting in on the act. In ones and twos, the griffins all did so, wings flaring and furling, beaks gaping in tongue-lolling yawns. Lena happily stayed cuddled in Alex's strong arms as they watched the show, vicious talons scratching the stones at their feet.

Interestingly, it seemed like each of the griffins paused in their leaving to sniff at Alex and Lena both, accepting pats to their cheeks or pets to their head. In her mind, Lena named each of them as she knew them, but left words to Alex, who knew them better.

For all that they were alike, so too were the griffins different from one another. Size and shade and color and even texture were unique to each. Up close, her hand stroking the feathered heads, Lena could see scars in the pale furrows left on them from blade and fire. She noticed Kane had the most difficulty getting up, those heavily scarred legs shaky after a grueling march and a long sleep.

Something drew Lena away from Alex and to the struggling Kane, her flame-haired rider fretting over her. Something in her she did not understand brought her own trembling hand to rest where the blood red streak of color ran up Kane's spine to split over her shoulders and pooled over throat and chest. Like the good, red blood they shared, the connection was warm, pulsing with life. Kane's labors calmed, the stress in her ebbing away under the touch of this stranger.

Lena did not know this animal, and yet, could feel the hurt and the strong will of her. For a moment, the battle between hurt and will wavered back and forth until the griffin shook herself and stood, solid and strong once more. Lena let her hand run over that streak of red feathers, the contact only broken when Kane turned her head to press against Lena's belly. There was no mistaking the gesture of trust, head lowered and vulnerable. Pleased her touch had helped, Lena pet over Kane's eye ridges and came back to the reality around her and Barbara's relief and awe.

"Thank you. I don't know what you just did, and I don't care. You helped and we needed it."

The interaction had not gone unnoticed, nor how Kane seemed to have completely moved past her pain and fatigue. Alex came to her softly smiling lover, coaxing her over to rejoin her kitchen companions. With a soft kiss, she smiled and left with enigmatic words that left Lena pondering.

"You're certain then, that you've no belief in the old magics?"

Did she?

As morning preparations grew in the cave, Lena watched closely.

Livestock had grown restless as the activity of their caretakers rose, forage and water brought out them, the weakest once more culled out and taken to the dark trail to be quickly slaughtered and brought to the griffins. There was a pecking order to their feeding, one based on size and dominance of personality. Yet, they had their own compromises and care. Where the egg sisters fed at a whole steer, they shifted and chirruped a noise that made first Eve and then, oddly, Kane, pause before joining them.

All griffins Lena had interacted with directly.

In the flicker of the cook fire, Lena looked at her scarred hands and wondered. Was there something to the talk of old magics? Was there something to the hazy memories of her touch soothing other's hurts? It all made Lena's mind muddy, her body weary again in defiance of a sound night's sleep in Alex's embrace.

Still odd to her was that she was left alone as the camp went into full swing. Thick porridge was quickly ready and another great wedge of the grainy cheese was distributed in hunks to every rider and the staff traveling with them. Lena found the energy for breakfast and gratefully took the heavy flakes of cheese wrapped in cloth that a smiling Querl handed her. 

Bits of offal were used as breakfast and bait to get the cats back into their cages and Lena was prodded away from the pile of furs and blankets, but given her favorite blanket in exchange. So she scooted away from the chaos to lean against a wall, providing an irresistible beacon of calm to the two cats that had squirmed away. Carter was very grateful to retrieve the squirmy cargo to be stashed carefully with their fellows. The cook fire coals were carefully gathered up and added to the smoldering mass beneath the egg pot, several riders wiggling their arms deep in the warm sand to turn the egg within.

It wasn't until the livestock was wrapped up warmly and queued up behind the donkeys that someone came for Lena. It was Susan, quietly drawing her charge up to shaky feet.

"We've better riding accommodations for you today on the big sled. But give Eve a pat, won't you? She'll not like having you close."

Eve was already dressed for travel, sans her hood, and there was a lumpy sack strapped to her saddle. The halter around her head bore a rope today, loosely tied to Sawyer's harness. She brightened as her new human approached, leaning into the caresses with happy noises.

"I will miss your presence," Lena murmured and bent to kiss the silky soft feathers near the top of Eve's beak. "But I confess I will not miss riding this day. Be good." 

At the lead sled, Mick was lifting the bleating hair goats and setting them in their snug pen at the rear. Carter was fussing over the placement of rabbits and chickens around sack, trunk and the stack of cheese wheels.

"There ya are," he grunted and reached out to grab her with the same indifferent busyness as he'd manhandled the goats. "You'll be cargo today. There's a flap in the side near your head if ya need anything. Just stick an arm out and wave. Someone'll see."

Firmly, but gently, the big man half lifted and half tossed Lena into a hammock stretched tight above the goats. A fur waited there and a small sack of something slithery Lena suspected was grain to use as a pillow. So she snuggled down beneath the blanket from Alex's bed and smiled softly at Mick. 

"I'm glad you're close by, ogre. I relish the sense of safety from you and the others."

For a moment, the gruff man was clearly taken aback, then roughly cleared his throat and did his best to ignore the faint heat he could feel on the back of his neck.

"Yeah, well, it's a long, annoying hike down the damn mountain in either direction. Might as well be useful."

Without another word, he handed over her hood and goggles and made his escape. Lena was sound asleep before the sled ever moved.

Lena was woken from her heavy sleep by a rhythmic thump and slap that was almost immediately picked up by the others, the sounds echoing around the mountain. Voices were added in a steady cadence, one that translated into the movements of the sledge beneath her. It was too muffled to make out most of the words, but no mistaking the beloved chorus of, "we're the airborne cavalry!"

Grinning at the joyful noise, Lena finally nosed out of her warm cocoon and blinked at the unexpected dimness. Even as she wrinkled her nose up at the smells of being trapped in close quarters with a motley crew of livestock, Lena figured out that fabric had been tented over the sled to keep much of the occupant's own warmth inside.

Needing a break from the stench, Lena patted at the walls until a flap moved and cold air rushed in. Even through the enveloping headgear, she could feel that the cold was a far less brutal thing today.

"Do you think we'll see any bears?"

Carter's voice came from above and forward of Lena, causing her to squirm onto her back and stare at the dimness through the tent. Alex's low chuckle warmed her like an embrace.

"I hope not. At least not until the griffins can move about freely."

"Yeah! The griffs can take any ol' bear."

Feeling reasonably hale, Lena squirmed about until she could catch her heavy crocodile boots on a trunk. From there, she wiggled around under the protective coverings to work her way to the front of the sled. It was all so ridiculous that a giggle escaped her, the superstructure creaking in concert to Carter's, "hey!"

"I hope that's you, Lena," Alex's teased, her voice ripe with mirth. "Or the goats have become too dexterous for containment."

"Baaaaa," Lena warbled back in a poor imitation of her furry companions and earned laughter. With a whirr of laces of released, she was met with a small figure peering down at her. She could almost feel Carter's grin behind his protective garments. 

"Hi Lena. Today's much better than yesterday. Do you want to sit with Alex? I can check the animals."

"That would be excellent, thank you."

In the tight quarters, it was humorously awkward for the friends to switch places, but they managed. Pulling herself up to the driver's bench was a test of Lena's low strength, but she managed the task. For all that Alex wanted to help, she had to keep her hands on the reins.

"Good to have you at my side again."

The quiet adoration was invitation enough for Lena to squirm into her suitor's side and nestle their heads together. Alex willingly rubbed her skull against her love's, pressing a little kiss to the inside of her own mask before speaking up again, more matter-of-factly. 

"So, your timing is impeccable."

"Oh?"

"Give it a moment and you'll see." 

In the clinging fog of the day, Lena could not tell what time it was, much less anything distinctive to their surroundings. Just a rocky face to their left and the familiar sheer drop to their right. Then, as the traveling caravan wound deeper and deeper through the crack in the mountain, new shapes rose abruptly in the fog.

"Trees," Lena breathed out thankfully. The spires of evergreens meant they had dropped below the tree line and the worst of the mountains was behind them now. Trees meant better footing, meant a variety of plants in the soil built over time, meant fresh prey and hopefully, a haven in which to begin anew.

**Author's Note:**

> Stay tuned for more after AgentCorpWeek2020!


End file.
